The War at Sea

T H E WA R AT S E A

The Dalgety Bay to Cramond Island line was replaced by a double line of anti-boat

and anti-submarine nets, slightly to the east, while a line parallel to the shipping lanes

between Inchmickery and Hound Point was added. A completely new line was started,to

run from Black Rock, east of Burntisland to Granton harbour, and a new outer defence

line was also started, to run from Elie in Fife to the island of Fidra, north of Dirleton in

East Lothian. A gap of two miles – known as the Fidra Gap – would be left in the centre

of this line, heavily patrolled on the surface and partially closed with deep nets to stop

submarines and, when the Fleet was exercising to the west, the gap would be closed by

nets pulled into position by drifters from Granton harbour.

Burntisland harbour was taken over and closed to neutral traffic to serve as a base

for the work. The nets were attached to hawsers slung between wooden dolphins or, in

deeper water, supported by floats and secured between anchored trawlers, requisitioned

from the fishing fleet.

Complementary to these defences was a comprehensive array of fortifications and gun

batteries, especially on the islands of Inchkeith, Inchcolm, Inchgarvie and Inchmickery.

Several of the coastal batteries also had extensive landward defences to protect them

from being neutralised by attack from the rear.

Boom defences

Construction of anti-submarine boom defences began in the early months of the war.

In November 1914 nets were hung under the Forth Bridge. At the same time a second

line of defences was begun,to run from the Fife shore near Dalgety Bay and then between

the islands of Inchcolm,Oxcars,Inchmickery and Cramond. It had a single gate south of

Inchcolm. (The causeway to Cramond Island was built, partly for access and partly as

an anti-shipping barrier,duringWWII).

Jellicoe fully understood the advantage of moving the whole of the Grand Fleet

south from Scapa Flow, but it would be several years before the defences in the Forth

could be judged

was agreed in 1916,as part of this work,to rebuild the anti-

submarine defences completely.

the royal navy in the forth

THE DOLPHINS

The construction of the Forth’s

anti-submarine boom defences

THE TRAWLERS